Educating Louisa – Part Six: Super 8
When the Fellows and Associates team hired Louisa, it was on the basis that she was an intelligent, cultured and interesting individual – qualities that she exuded during her interview. Unfortunately, what they didn’t know is that Louisa’s ‘films viewed’ portfolio was disappointingly unrefined. Pete Fellows has therefore taken on the role of teacher of all things cinema, and will assign different ‘must see’ films for Louisa to watch and review, for both her own education and your reading pleasure.
Super 8 – A Blast from the (i.e. Pete’s) Past
“What about the Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad?” I hear you ask. Well to cut a long story short, I fell asleep around 10 minutes in on 2 separate occasions. Take from that what you will…
So in a desperate salvage attempt we grabbed the first film to hand. It was Super 8 and I’m delighted it was. Directed by JJ Abrams and produced by Steven Spielberg, it follows a group of geeky boys led by Joe Lamb (Joel Courtney) and the not so geeky Alice (played flawlessly by Elle Fanning), who have a shared passion for amateur film making. Set in late 1970’s Ohio, they witness a catastrophic train crash whilst shooting a zombie movie on a Super 8 camera. After a series of mysterious events and disappearances, they discover it was harbouring a mistreated alien intent on going home (after inflicting revenge on its captors of course). Overall, the special effects were a triumph and really did my new TV justice. However, in typical Abrams style there was an overuse of lens flare which just didn’t seem to let up. It was distracting rather than dramatic, and at one point had me wondering if my TV was a ‘bargain’ for a reason.
I’d heard of Super 8 and was aware of the Gen X hype surrounding it. I’d heard whispers comparing it to the likes of Cloverfield, The Goonies, and ET, which made me anxious with over anticipation. There are undeniable similarities which have led some to argue a lack of originality. There’s the clear aesthetic affinity between the alien in Super 8 and that in Cloverfield (see below), and then there’s the whole alien that returns to its home planet with the help of a bunch of kids scenario – sound familiar?
Putting the alien related similarities to one side, a more important comparison is the truly outstanding child performances that were on a par with or perhaps even trumped those of The Goonies. That, in a nutshell, is what makes Super 8 more than a just a ‘homage’ (though an excellent homage it is nevertheless). The alien and its subsequent escapades were for me more of a subplot. It ran alongside a clever exploration of life as a young teen in the late 1970’s, which was helped along wonderfully by the whimsical yet scatty dialogue. The troubles and explorations of teen hood are captured perfectly – most notably by the awkward awe with which lead character Joe looks upon Alice and the jealous quarrel she causes between him and his best friend Charles.
Super 8 provides an undeniable sense of nostalgia that can be appreciated regardless of the generation to which you belong. The retro props, overtly 1970’s set and suburban location etc. all allow for an excellent representation of the era. You really get a sense that Abrams and Spielberg were reliving their own childhoods through Super 8, and it’s that personal touch that ensures so much authenticity.
Given the Naked Gun related disaster and to avoid further reader disappointment, the next film Louisa will review remains TBC.